It’s just a few days now before we embark on our trip to explore British Columbia’s Inside Passage and circumnavigate Vancouver Island. We will be exploring in remote areas, far from where we can get ready help if we break down. So making sure Oceana is ready is our first priority. We hauled her out this spring, had her bottom cleaned and painted. We had our propellor re-pitched and replaced the engine exhaust elbow to get the best performance from the engine, and hopefully gain a little more speed, since there is usually a lot of motoring up the inside. We’ve added solar panels to keep our batteries up when sailing or at anchor; added AIS to make ourselves more visible to other vessels—and them to us—when we’re transiting down the outside of the Island (notorious for fog in the summer months), and added Starlink (ugh) to get the best weather information we can, and to stay in touch with family and friends. The prep continues till the last minute, getting provisions on board, stowing of all the parts and tools and books and charts and clothing for every weather possibility.

We’re leaving our house and dog behind, in the care of house-sitters, so all that has to be put in order and all the details there sorted out as well. Leaving our personal lives behind for 3 months is a lot to prepare for too.

It’s said that ‘Nobody wants you to go cruising’, and it’s true. It’s a lot of work you take on and hoops you jump through and resistance you encounter and obstacles to overcome to make it happen; it would be so much easier not to go.

But Tuesday morning, June 3, 2025, when we cast off the dock in Pleasant Harbor, we get to enter a different world. Just the two of us on board, making our way each day along the coast, relying on each other and the preparations we’ve made, to explore some of the most glorious coastal waters in the world.

What could possibly go wrong?